2017/18 UEFA Champions League

adaminho

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

That's not true at all, didn't City famously get some stinker draws from Pot 2 and Pot 3 the times they went in as reigning EPL champions.

They had a group with Real, Dortmund and Ajax all reigning champions that year hence the change in seeding.

cj maxx

klose wrote: »

I think spurs could get second in their group myself, dortmund ain't the same team as a few years back still very good of course but them and spurs should be an open game. Of course spurs made an absolute balls of their group last year so that still has to be taken into consideration.
Liverpool and United certainly got the luck of the draw respectively, never ideal playing away in Moscow in freezing temperatures however.

Think it's set for September, the Moscow tie that is

citytillidie

Uefa really are smart not, both Liverpool and United away in Moscow on the 26th and 27th September

Richard Hillman

citytillidie wrote: »

Uefa really are smart not, both Liverpool and United away in Moscow on the 26th and 27th September

Why would UEFA arrange alternative dates? Its up to them to behave themselves and Russian police to send them to the gulag if they don't.

Yawns

citytillidie wrote: »

Uefa really are smart not, both Liverpool and United away in Moscow on the 26th and 27th September

Two English teams in two days. Both set of fans are nuts to go over there imo. The Russian ultras will be out in force I reckon.

Yawns

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Why would UEFA arrange alternative dates? Its up to them to behave themselves and Russian police to send them to the gulag if they don't.

I think he's thinking like me, the Russians fans will be the trouble I think. With the Russian administration not giving a fiddlers either like last time with England and Russian fans clashing in France.

ArmaniJeanss

citytillidie wrote: »

Uefa really are smart not, both Liverpool and United away in Moscow on the 26th and 27th September

I doubt that many will travel to Moscow when theres far easier/nicer trips for both - MUFC fans can go in their thousands to Lisbon whilst Liverpool have an easy journey to Seville. Probably only a few hundred going on official club packages (to Moscow).

Jayop

More chance the United and Liverpool fans stick together on that trip than fight each other.

citytillidie

Seems also UEFA can't win on the seeding with people going on about Pot 1 being nearly made up of Spanish and English teams for a while saying it's not fair on the league winners having to face hard tie. They come up with a system to reward the top 7/8 league winners with giving them pot 1. I say it should go further. Start in pot 1 with holders in slot one. Then keep going until the lowest ranked league winner is slotted. Then fill the rest with those teams who came via other league sports and the league route play off

citytillidie

Jayop wrote: »

More chance the United and Liverpool fans stick together on that trip than fight each other.

It is just set up for English "fans" to travel to gether and meet Russian "fans"

citytillidie

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

I doubt that many will travel to Moscow when theres far easier/nicer trips for both - MUFC fans can go in their thousands to Lisbon whilst Liverpool have an easy journey to Seville. Probably only a few hundred going on official club packages.

I am not talking about the fans who travel for the game I am talking about the other type of "fans" who travel

Jayop

In fairness, there's never any bother with United or Liverpool fans on tour these days. Both represent their clubs really well away from home.

What was the last bit of trouble with English teams away? That Chelsea fan that was an RUC man in the north being racist in Paris is all I can remember.

Yawns

More the **** that happened in France at the Euros is what I'm thinking. Russian idiots lashing into anyone but with a fixation on the English it seemed.

Cake Man

Where are people getting these fixtures from? As yet, I can't find anything online showing fixtures?

EDIT: Nevermind, just saw them. The 17/18 CL Wikipedia page hadn't updated.

Jayop

Yawns wrote: »

More the **** that happened in France at the Euros is what I'm thinking. Russian idiots lashing into anyone but with a fixation on the English it seemed.

Yeah it's a fair point. Just bear in mind that very few of the England traveling support come from the big clubs. More often they come from the small lower division teams. But the Russian crew are a worry all the same.

citytillidie

Cake Man wrote: »

Where are people getting these fixtures from? As yet, I can't find anything online showing fixtures?

EDIT: Nevermind, just saw them. The 17/18 CL Wikipedia page hadn't updated.

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/02/49/56/25/2495625_DOWNLOAD.pdf

inforfun

City, Napoli, Shakhtar

Not too bad.

At home Feyenoord shouldnt fear anyone and apart from years ago against Juve, Feyenoord usually does well against Italians.
Apart from when the UEFA thinks Roma should progress and sent Turpin to do the job.

Shakhtar not the force it once was.

Should be easy enough for Feyenoord to win that group and avoid a no1 from other groups.

TheCitizen

citytillidie wrote: »

Seems also UEFA can't win on the seeding with people going on about Pot 1 being nearly made up of Spanish and English teams for a while saying it's not fair on the league winners having to face hard tie. They come up with a system to reward the top 7/8 league winners with giving them pot 1. I say it should go further. Start in pot 1 with holders in slot one. Then keep going until the lowest ranked league winner is slotted. Then fill the rest with those teams who came via other league sports and the league route play off

Yes agree with that the top positions should be reserved for holders and then domestic champions.

citytillidie

TheCitizen wrote: »

Yes agree with that the top positions should be reserved for holders and then domestic champions.

Would have left the pots like this

Pot 1
Real Madrid (ESP)
Bayern München (GER)
Juventus (ITA)
Benfica (POR)
Chelsea (ENG)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Monaco (FRA)
Spartak Moskva (RUS)

Pot 2
Basel (SUI)
Olympiacos (GRE)
Anderlecht (BEL)
Beşiktaş (TUR)
Celtic (SCO)
APOEL (CYP)
Feyenoord (NED)
Maribor (SVN)

Pot 3
Qarabağ (AZE)
Barcelona (ESP)
Atlético Madrid (ESP)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Sevilla (ESP)
Manchester City (ENG)
Porto (POR)

Pot 4
Manchester United (ENG)
Napoli (ITA)
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
Liverpool (ENG)
Roma (ITA)
CSKA Moskva (RUS)
Sporting CP (POR)
RB Leipzig (GER)

inforfun

Could still have ended up Feyenoord\City\Napoli\Shakhtar funny enough

Didnt bother checking the others.

citytillidie

Tuesday Games
Group A
Benfica (POR) V CSKA Moskva (RUS) - BT Sport Extra 5
Manchester United (ENG) V Basel (SUI) - TV3 / BT Sport 2

Group B
Bayern München (GER) V Anderlecht (BEL) - BT Sport Extra 4
Celtic (SCO) V Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) - Eir Sport 2? / BT Sport 3

Group C
Chelsea (ENG) V Qarabağ (AZE) - Eir Sport 1 / BT Sport ESPN
Roma (ITA) V Atlético Madrid (ESP) - BT Sport Extra 3

Group D
Barcelona (ESP) V Juventus (ITA) - BT Sport Extra 2
Olympiacos (GRE) V Sporting CP (POR) - BT Sport Extra 6

Wednesday Game
Group E
Maribor (SVN) V Spartak Moskva (RUS) - BT Sport Extra 6
Liverpool (ENG) V Sevilla (ESP) - RTE2 / BT Sport 2

Group F
Feyenoord (NED) V Manchester City (ENG) - Eir Sport 1 / BT Sport ESPN / BT Showcase
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) V Napoli (ITA) - BT Sport Extra 3

Group G
RB Leipzig (GER) V Monaco (FRA) - BT Sport Extra 4
Porto (POR) V Beşiktaş (TUR) - BT Sport Extra 5

Group H
Real Madrid (ESP) V APOEL (CYP) - BT Sport Extra 2
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) V Borussia Dortmund (GER) - Eir Sport 2? / BT Sport 3

Goals show on BT Sport 1 on both nights

ERG89

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Dembele, Suarez, Messi

Juventus: Buffon; De Sciglio, Barzagli, Benatia, Alex Sandro; Bentancur, Pjanic, Matuidi; Douglas Costa, Higuain, Dybala


Don't fancy Juve tonight, think Messi may finally score past Buffon. Big games for De Sciglio, Costa & Bentancur.

Mr.Nice Guy

Celtic XI: Gordon; Ralston, Lustig, Simunovic, Tierney; Brown, Ntcham; Roberts, Armstrong, Sinclair; Griffiths

PSG XI: Areola; Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Kurzawa; Motta, Verratti, Rabiot; Neymar, Mbappe, Cavani.

Celtic will do well to avoid a hiding tonight.

Some amount of empty seats among the home fans. I assume they'll be getting a massive find for that political banner too. :rolleyes:

irishguitarlad

That central defence by juve is a disaster waiting to happen.

Mr.Nice Guy

1-0 Neymar. It was coming. Lovely ball from Rabiot.

dr.kenneth noisewater

Could be a long night for Anderlecht, a goal and a man down already

Stevecw

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

1-0 Neymar. It was coming. Lovely ball from Rabiot.

Well deserved, they are owning the ball. The young Celtic right back Ralston is struggling badly. Never heard of him before and a massive ask to be up against Neymar.

Mr.Nice Guy

Mbaaaaaapppppppeeeeeeee.

NIMAN

PSG could get a sackful tonight

Stevecw

All very easy for PSG.
Fellaini off the bench to put Man Utd 1-0 (watching that in background)

Mr.Nice Guy

NIMAN wrote: »

PSG could get a sackful tonight

Yep. Penalty for PSG now.

Cavani converts it for 3-0.

Irish_rat

Mbappe is a joy to watch. Impressed as much as Neymar against Metz.

Jelle1880

Rabiot is some player. Every time I see him I'm impressed with his reading of the game.

irishguitarlad

Some goal by messi

ERG89

1-0 to Barca. Nice finish by Messi. Juve should probably be a bit more positive going forward as they have made chances.

Mr.Nice Guy

PSG made that look easy. Just too good out there. In fairness to Celtic, as the commentator on BT Sport said, financially speaking this match is a total mismatch.

Rekop dog

Very early days but Barca have been the standout team in Europe so far this season.

NIMAN

I think Celtic Park doesn't scare teams any more.

Ardent

The only threat from Celtic is the loanee from City, Roberts. The rest are terrible.

Rekop dog

NIMAN wrote: »

I think Celtic Park doesn't scare teams any more.

Probably more the championship level team they have that doesn't scare opponents.

Stevecw

Lukaku yet again, no slow settling into a new club there anyway!

ERG89

Finally someone gets booked for waving the imaginary card.

Stevecw

Delighted to see Messi finally booked for that, he's always at it and gets away with it everytime. Well done that ref.

ERG89

2-0 Rakitic. Set up by a waspy Messi.
Juve should have included Lichtsteiner in the squad & actually replaced Bonucci. I'm not even a fan of them & I say that.

Rekop dog

Roma v Atleti the most interesting game now.

Guy:Incognito

Never a peno in the benfica - cska match. Poor decision.

irishguitarlad

That goal by messi was just wow.

Rekop dog

Messi GOATing all over this.

Jelle1880

CSKA turn it around!